There is little hope of survival for the 15 miners trapped in a coal mine in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, a coal mine official at the rescue site said Saturday.

Water infiltration occurred at the Sangshuping Coal Mine in Hancheng city Thursday evening when 22 miners were working below ground.

Only seven escaped, the others were all trapped.

Though rescuers are still pumping water from the tunnel, the water level rose again Saturday morning, which, according to Tian Junfeng, the official directing the rescue work, showed infiltration or collapse is still going on.

It will at least take a few more days to pump all the water out of the tunnel, so there is almost no hope for the trapped miners to come out alive, Tian said.

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